World Bank officials are promoting the development and deployment of specialized artificial intelligence models designed specifically for emerging economies during the institution’s annual meetings in Bangkok, Thailand this week.
The World Bank’s chief knowledge officer, Paschal Donohoe, a former Irish finance minister, outlined how “small AI” — narrow, specialized models trained on limited datasets for specific purposes — could enable developing countries to achieve economic progress in decades rather than centuries. Unlike the large-scale consumer products prioritized by major technology firms, these smaller models are designed to operate on mobile devices with minimal connectivity requirements and function in local languages. Donohoe cited the example of Indian farmers participating in the World Bank’s AgriConnect agricultural initiative who require soil analysis information in their native language, highlighting how such AI tools could address information gaps without requiring extensive networks of specialized experts.
The International Monetary Fund’s managing director, Kristalina Georgieva, emphasized that successful AI adoption requires foundational infrastructure and institutional support. She noted that governments must ensure access to electricity, digital infrastructure, workforce readiness for new technologies, and protections against malicious actors. These prerequisites are particularly important given that the World Bank’s development report released in August documented significant infrastructure deficits in emerging regions, including electricity access lacking in nearly one-third of rural schools across sub-Saharan Africa and consistent internet connectivity absent in more than two-thirds of such facilities.
Conversely, Georgieva warned that approximately 40 percent of jobs worldwide face potential augmentation or elimination through AI technology, with disproportionate impacts on young people entering the workforce. She expressed particular concern about early-career workers typically moving through routine positions into more advanced roles, a progression that could be disrupted by automation.
The World Bank, under president Ajay Banga’s leadership, has prioritized mobilizing private-sector capital for emerging markets. Donohoe reported that the institution secured $120 billion in private capital during the past year using financial guarantees and similar mechanisms, addressing funding gaps as several developed nations reduced official aid allocations.
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